I have just gotten done with "The Curse of Chalion" for about the 7th time. It's a book I can read and then immediately re-read. Lois McMaster Bujold. Set in the World of the Five Gods. "The Curse of Chalion" and "Paladin of Souls" are as good fantasy novels as I ever read, including the classics. The others in the series vary. The Penric stories are lighter, though not trauma-free. I read "The Hallowed Hunt" about three times trying to figure out what was happening, and just came to the conclusion that it's a downer.

Her Vorkosigan stories are in a class by themselves.

Don't mess with Texas! We mess up enough by ourselves.I have actually made bullets like they're doing in my avatar. Then loaded the gun with a ramrod, and shot it. But I'm not feeling real good about guns right now.